Darker Hue Studios is an independent company aimed at increasing the level of diversity in gaming and geekdom through building community, developing new material, and promoting inclusion within the existing gaming industry.

For anyone on the fence about this show, I am going to put my key thought up front: I loved Black Lightning! Go watch it and come back so we can discuss. For everyone else, let’s talk...

SPOILERS!!!

All right, gang, let’s delve into it a bit. I watched it this morning in the wee hours and felt swept up into the pilot with the first scene at the police station. Hearing Anissa's voice over of the #BlackLightning Oath, while Jennifer compares her to Harriet Tubman, established the tone of the show and what it was going to be. Then they give us a moment to breathe, and we see three of them as a family in the car, building an emotional hook for the audience. It gave me flashes of moments from my childhood, I have been in that car. The doubling down in the second scene with the cops pulling them over for a driving-while-black stop cemented a grounding the other DCTV shows have ignored: the reality of being black in America.

This show would not just be about superheroes superheroing, but rather the cost of superheroing, knowing that powers can’t always save the day and the community. It was so refreshing to see a smart, respected black man excelling at his profession and winning battles with his words; to see the students at the school engage with him, his concern for them and talking down a gunman to make sure no one was hurt; and then doing something in more of a gray area by trying to deal with the local gang boss, a former student, to keep the peace.

That's not to say there isn't superheroing, as the use of Jefferson’s powers are AWESOME!!! I loved the battling in the dark illuminated by lightning punches and bolts of power! As an African American father with a daughter, I instantly related to his motivation for quitting being a superhero and then reclaiming the mask for the same reason: his daughters. He would do anything for them.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a perfect pilot. Pilots are difficult to pull off as they need to establish the protagonist, antagonist, the world, drama and numerous other bits in about 43 minutes. A hefty endeavor. There were some moments that didn’t sit right with me too, for instance, when Jefferson knocked out the cops behind the alley and blew up the police car. I could say he was covering up his tracks, maybe disabling the dash cam in the patrol car but that scene felt more forced, as did him standing on the roof of the motel at the end of the big fight scene. But such minor ticks are easily forgotten.

That said, Black Lightning is the best pilot of the DCTV shows followed by Arrow and Supergirl.

I will be here every week watching this show and looking forward to the journey!

At the end of each day, we will pick a random winner and send them a Harlem Unbound Keeper Screen or Dice. On the final day (December 31), we will do a raffle to include all social media posts during the 10-day period as entries, and we will award one lucky winner a signed Harlem Unbound Set (signed copy of the Book, the Keeper Screen and Dice)!

A few rules:

Every time you post on social media = one entry, including for the final prize.

The Harlem Unbound swag will be mailed out within one week.

You must tag us in each post.

You must reside in the United States to win physical swag. (Sorry international crew, but damn those shipping costs!)

I can’t wait to hear from you. Thank you again for supporting this crazy dream of mine.

“‘Drink took to me,’ said Simple. ‘Whiskey just naturally likes me but beer likes me better.’”

— Langston Hughes

Hey Hep Cats,

What kind of backwards, Bible Belt bum would I be if I didn’t hand you, my of-age-adult-backer, a Tasty Cocktails 101 to toast this book and your unwavering support. The juice mixes in these pages have been christened, taste-tested and received the Harlem Unbound stamp of approval.

Harlem Unbound-ized names as well as common names are listed for all you big shots. When you drop the word to get into the club, saunter up to the bar in The Cotton Club or at a hopping rent party packed to the gills, you’ll know the right lingo. While a warbler pours out their soul on stage, a quick word about one of these babies, and you’ll avoid strange glances from the regulars. No finks or pounders here.

Thanks again for your help in making this dream come true and keep an eye out for what we do next.

Cheers,

Chris (AKA The Crooner)

Tasty Cocktails 101: Juices to Delight the Senses

Baker’s Dozen (AKA Bee's Knees)

Josephine Baker was underestimated, much like this simple classic cocktail. Both surprised the world with their versatility and lasting appeal. Baker was an entertainer, activist and French Resistance fighter, and lived up to the meaning of the cocktail era’s slang name: The Best.

2 oz. Gin

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.5 oz Honey

Bonus – A dab of Prosecco will make this cocktail even more Jake.

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker, strain and serve in a chilled glass with a lemon twist.

Wisdom and Hughes (AKA The Perfect Manhattan)

Much like Langston Hughes, this tasty cocktail will seduce you with its allure and leave you spellbound with what is the standard of cocktails. Hughes represents the Harlem Renaissance to so many and often is the first person who springs to mind.

2 oz. Rye (or bourbon for that Southern feel, or Canadian whiskey if you’re looking to replicate prohibition availability)

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

½ oz. Dry Vermouth

2-4 Dashes of Angostura bitters

Pour all ingredients into a glass, stir vigorously, and then pour into a chilled glass and serve with a maraschino cherry.

Their Eyes Were Watching Zora (AKA The Boulevardier)

The Boulevardier is a powerful and complex drink that comes at you head-on, like Zora Neale Hurston, and once you have experienced it, you will keep coming back. For Zora, the power of her words are unquestionable, as was her drive for telling stories and traveling the darker path, no matter the danger.

2 oz. Rye (or bourbon for that Southern feel, or Canadian whiskey if you’re looking to replicate prohibition availability)

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

Pour all ingredients into a glass, stir vigorously and strain into a chilled glass. Add a twist of lemon for rye or a slim slice of orange for bourbon or Canadian whiskey.

It has been a crazy year with a lot of highs (Harlem Unbound) and numerous lows (45, closing doors, and building walls). I've been doing a mental rundown of the year with the faint sound of Bowie playing in the background. In some ways, I feel like I've been floating in space since we funded our Kickstarter. Real life took over in a lot of ways, and I haven't had the time to devote to reaching out to the gaming community and pursuing other gaming-related projects in the way I wanted. The end of the year is looming, and I'm thinking about Darker Hue's mission, some of the projects I was lucky enough to be on, and a lot of people I met over the last year.

So now it's time for Harlem Unbound to ship (next month, fingers crossed!), and it will soon be in the hands of all those great people crazy enough to believe in this project. People who believed the Harlem Renaissance and Lovecraftian horror could merge into something great that previously has been sorely overlooked and dubiously depicted. My mind is ablaze with what comes next. I have a lot of ideas (too many, if you ask my wife), but time is always the control factor. Right now, I am focusing on the last scenario for Harlem Unbound, a digital special for backers.

And with the books being shipped out next month, I am going to be doing Harlem Unbound Mondays until the book reaches everyone. That's right, a quick 140 character scenario seed for those looking to get started playing! Look for it on our Twitter feed.

Then, tomorrow...tomorrow and tomorrow for our next project. And I think my spaceship knows which way to go.

It's been a really busy year--just looking at my blog since Gen Con 49 tells me that. This is only my fourth blog post since then... But fewer posts hopefully means more work, and my energy has really been focused on the Darker Hue Studios mission.

If you are looking for me at Gen Con 50, send me a tweet, DM me, or swing by the Pelgrane booth. If none of that works, you can probably find me enjoying the Omni hotel bar.

You can also find me appearing on a few panels or doing that silly thing called running a game. Details below:

The Hangman's WellThursday/Friday/Saturday, 1200 - 1600Horror & madness in the Wild West. A new game for 2017.

One GM, One Player MasterclassThursday, 1600 - 1700GMing for one player, or playing solo with the GM, poses a special set of challenges. The design team behind Cthulhu Confidential teaches the tricks & techniques of this intense, rewarding format.